"pecans" news and stories

Don't be fooled by the name; there's more to Clear River Pecan Company than nuts. Sure, owner John Dubea started out selling the rich, buttery bounty of the Texas state tree, but that was twenty-one years ago. Today, his business is a multifaceted dessert emporium, offering ice cream, pastries, fudge and whatever else your sweet tooth aches for, all made fresh daily. But this evolution hasn't altered Clear River's decidedly small town feel. From its 50's soda shoppe decor to its Main Street address, John Dubea has created a delicious sliver of bygone Americana deep in the heart of Texas.

Read on about John Zubea and his time warp treats after the jump.

Happy National Pecan Pie Day!

One of the most famous desserts of the American South, pecan pie is rooted deep in U.S. tradition. Although legend says that Thomas Jefferson is largely to thank for dispersing pecan trees across the country, en route to gifting some Mississippi trees to George Washington at Mount Vernon, pecans had long before been a staple in the diet of Native American Indians.

Because of their abundance throughout the American Midwest, South and Southwest, pecans were increasingly integrated into sweet desserts, most notably that of pecan pie. According to local tales, the pie was first created by the French upon their arrival in New Orleans in the early 1700s.

For a traditional pie fit for your Thanksgiving table or a sunny picnic afternoon, we'd recommend that of the Homesick Texan, a recipe passed down from her great grandmother. She swears they're divine when using local pecans.

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I'm not a big pecan guy. My tastes run more towards pistachios and cashews, but don't let that stop you from celebrating Pecan Day!

Here's everything you need to know about pecans from the National Pecan Shellers Association. Of course, no Pecan Day celebration would be complete without a recipe for pecan pie. Here's one from Rachael Ray, one from AllRecipes, and also one from Simply Recipes.

But there's more to do with pecans. Here's a recipe for Caramel Pecan Cheesecake, and here's one for Wild Rice Cranberry Pecan Salad.

I realize that some of you out there might just be ready to take a break from chocolate (this is never a problem that I have) after the candy-indulgences of Valentine's Day. However, for those of you are ready for another round of cacao-based based deliciousness, then do I have a recipe for you. This is not one I discovered on my own, but I am bookmarking it for future reference.

You see, last night we had a birthday dinner for Scott. Some friends came over and we ate roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts and a really lovely baguette from Metropolitan bakery. Because Scott is something of a champagne fan, I made the Champagne Chiffon Cake that Nicole created for New Year's Eve. In addition to that dessert, Joe brought a pan of brownies that he had made earlier that afternoon, when the baking bug had struck. He found the recipe on Al Dente, the Amazon.com food blog. He used the variation that included pecans and dried cherries and they were so good. Fudgy and thick, with a great consistency. This recipe is a keeper.

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Tuesday afternoon, I was struck with unshakable need to bake a loaf of banana bread. My favorite, basic, go-to recipe generally is the Quick Banana Bread recipe from Joy of Cooking. I've made this loaf so many times that my edition of Joy naturally opens to that page when left to it's own devices. This time though, I wanted something slightly different, something sweetened with maple syrup and including a mass of toasted and chopped pecans. I googled around a bit, until I hit upon this recipe. Taking it as a starting place, I adapted a bit and I think I hit on a winner. It has a very smooth, soft texture that is not too sweet or too bland. I'm afraid my old recipe may have been supplanted by this one! If you want to try it out, the recipe is after the jump.

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